What are single parent grants?

Being a parent is hard enough when you have a spouse who shares the responsibility, so doing it on your own can seem downright impossible. Most single parents work full time to support their families, and some even have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet. It's not surprising either. The cost of raising a child these days averages out to more than $10,000 a year [source: Center for the Improvement of Child Caring]. Now, imagine being a single parent with multiple kids. It's overwhelming to say the least. Luckily, there is help available in the form of single parent grants.

There are several grants that have been developed to help single parents with the financial burden of raising a child. If you are raising your kids alone, chances are you qualify for a number of these grants. They can help you pay for everything from school to health care to housing costs. So what do you have to do? Well, you're already off to a good start. The first step is researching what's available and finding out whether or not you qualify for them. Once you've determined your eligibility, the next step is to apply for the grants that you do qualify for. It sounds easy, but you'll have to do your part to make sure you meet all of the requirements and fill out applications properly [source: U.S. Department of Urban Housing and Development].

Keep in mind that there are many single parents out there just like you who will be filling out applications as well. During the process it's important to keep a positive attitude. You may not get the first few grants you apply for, but that's not a good excuse to give up. The more grants you apply for, the more likely you are to get one. At the end of the day, your perseverance will likely pay off.

Keep reading to find out more about the different types of grants available to single parents.